Fire Emblem: Fateful Awakening (Awakening Arc)
by Dangoflash
Summary: What if two great Lords meet and strive together to bring peace to their homeland? Awakening and Fates meet in a familiar open field in Ylisse, and the tale of the two worlds begin here. There will be pairings and will be as "ideal" as possible. Since Fates hasn't released outside Japan yet, content will not spoil anything major. Reviews and criticism are welcome!
1. Prologue

**Author's Note** : This is a cross-over fan fiction of Fire Emblem: Awakening and Fire Emblem: Fates. Since Fire Emblem: Fates is not released outside Japan, this fan fiction has only minor spoilers that are known by most if not many. You can refer to the Fire Emblem Wiki for already disclosed information.

 **Prologue** :

Blood everywhere. The air stunk with the bodies of her allies and enemies. For a brief moment, for a short silence, she was able to catch her breath and sit down. The Shrine of Naga was shattered in pieces. Her grip gave way and her sword kissed the floor. The solid _"clang"_ echoed throughout the main hall.

She looked around for any sign of life. Sanguine was all she could see. Her friends were far and her parents have passed on to another life. What hope is there left in her world?

" _What would father do? What would mother do? Tales of their audacious battles and bravery tell me to never give up. Never give up even in the face of misery. Now that it is staring at me…"_

A long sigh left her as she picked herself up. She held her sword firmly once more, ready for the next adversaries that would meet her. As she examined her sword, the ground shook and the skies revealed a gargantuan figure. Its wings were black as the darkest ink of night. Its blood-red eyes stared at Lucina as it let out a deafening roar.

Grima. The Fellblood Dragon that was put to slumber a millennia ago rose again. With the Fire Emblem lost and its most recent Exalt slain, little hope was left. The Awakening Ritual, which was meant to be the only weapon that can fight this deity, is now but a dream gone by. As a last resort, Lucina made her way to her private chambers and prayed to Naga for guidance. What more can a mere sword and child do against Grima?

The ceiling collapsed on Lucina and once more did Grima let out a vicious roar. With the last of her strength, Lucina reached for the foot of the Shrine of Naga. A bright green light illuminated the room and then the whole castle was destroyed.


	2. Chapter 1: Milord and Lady

**Chapter 1: Milord and Lady**

Another sky-blue day greeted the open fields of Ylisse. Prince Chrom, his younger sister Lissa, and his ever-strict Lieutenant Frederick accompanied him in his usual daily patrol.

Chrom's daily rounds usually consist of helping farmhands, shooing the occasional bandits, and also dealing with the most recent issue: the escalating invasion of Plegia.

"Milord, we are a long way away from Ylisstol," Frederick said as he cleared the way ahead of rocks. "Perhaps you would like to take a break and have some tea?"

"It is too early for breaks. Maybe Lissa could use a quick one though and some tea." Chrom gestured to Lissa.

"What do you think I am Chrom?" cried Lissa as she whacked Chrom with her staff. "A delicate, fragile, little daisy?! I am a princess of Ylisse! I can handle myself!"

"Milady, it would be best if you did not strike Lord Chrom with your staff. You never know when we need it or better yet when an innocent bystander might need it."

"Well then, Frederick, Lissa, shall we proceed?" said Chrom as he continued walking. "The day isn't ending any faster."

"Press on, Lord Chrom. Milady, maybe you would like to ride on my horse?"

"Hmph. No thanks Frederick. I told you I can handle myse-WWUAUAAAAHHH! Ungh!"

"Liz!" Chrom explained as he drew his sword.

"Are you alright? Are you hit?"

"N-no, Chrom…" Lissa slowly stood up as she tidied herself. "I think I tripped on something."

"Milady…" said Frederick as he stepped down from his horse "I think you tripped on some _one_ ".

It was a young lady in a very queer garb with a very long black cape. Her hair was as white as snow and she was blessed with a gentle yet curved figure. Surprisingly, Lissa's collision with her feet did not wake her up.

"Chrom, we have to do something." Lissa gave Chrom a worried look.

"What do you propose we do?" Chrom replied.

"I-I don't know!" Lissa exclaimed. It was then that the young lady woke up with a groan.

"I see you are awake now," said Chrom as he leaned to get a better look at the lady.

"Hey there…" Lissa said as she prepared her staff.

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground you know," Chrom said and reached out to the lady. "Give me your hand."

"T-thank you," said the young lady as Chrom helped her up. "Where am I?"

Gasps escaped the lips of Chrom and Lissa while Frederick stood calmly but firmly.

"Are you alright?" Chrom asked with a cautioned stance. "Can you tell us your name?"

"My name…my name is…" the lady struggled and held her head as she tried to remember her name.

A voice echoed in her head. " _Corrin. Your name is Corrin."_

"…Corrin." she replied.

"Corrin? Is that foreign?" asked Chrom. "…Ah, well. We can discuss it later. I would also like to introduce myself. I am Chrom, and this is my Lieutenant, Frederick the Wary."

"A title I wear with pride. Forgive my stern façade, but I must be wary whenever I am with milord in the presence of a stranger," said Frederick with a very firm voice.

"I am Lissa, Chrom's little sister," Lissa said as she was closely examining Corrin's garb. "I apologize for tripping over you. I honestly did not see you lying down there and I certainly did not expect anyone to be in the middle of a field this far out!"

"Not at all, Lissa. I myself do not know why I was lying down in the middle of this field. Is there perhaps an inn nearby? I could use a warm meal while I find out how far Nohr is."

"Actually we were planning on taking you to the nearby town to ask you more questions I promise we won't took too much of your time. By the time lunch is done, you will be homebound." Chrom kindly gestured to Corrin.

"All because I slept in an open field?" Corrin exclaimed. "Isn't this too much of an offense?!"

Frederick rushed to Chrom's side with his silver lance "Watch your tone! You do not seem armed but you seem to have the intent of harming milord to struggle your way out of this! All we have for you are questions, not chains or a prison! Do not make me strike you down, stranger!"

"Frederick. Calm down." Chrom held down Frederick's lance. "Corrin, to us you are not a prisoner. We just wish to know where you come from since you do not seem to be from here, and the current state of Ylisse demands we be cautious and wary. I hope you understand."

"I understand, Chrom." Corrin sighed. "I will go with you. With what I have experienced now it seems hostility is something of a common ritual here nowadays. It is but a poison creeping upon the glory of its former self?"

"Correct," Chrom said as he led the group. "Ylisse values peace above everything. The Exalt prioritizes the welfare of her people and resorts to battle only as a final option. Sometimes her kindness actually invites adversaries more than allies, but we have stood strong so far."

" _Clearly I am nowhere near Nohr or Hoshido. Exalt? Ylisse? These terms sound strange to me. And how can they not? I am a stranger in strange lands. For now I will keep my royal status a secret from these soldiers. After that traitorous bastard betrayed us, conflict with another nation is something we can't afford to have now. Last I remember was falling off that bridge. A bright light, and…_ "

"Chrom! Look!" Lissa shouted as she pointed towards the horizon.

"Gods! A fire!" Chrom said as he drew out his sword.

"Plegians?" Frederick guessed.

"That doesn't matter now. We must investigate!" said Chrom as he began running.

"Milord! What about Corrin?" said Frederick as he brandished his lance.

"Unless she's one fire too, she will have to wait!" replied Chrom.

"Aptly put, milord." Frederick galloped onward.

"W-wait! What about… Ugh…"

" _You can run. You can totally run now. Then again where do I run? I have no idea where I am! I might run into less hospitable people and be greeted by an axe rather than a hand! Blast. My darn sword is missing, and Jacob forgot to furnish me with a dagger."_

The sky-blue horizon was marred by the smoke of the nearby village set aflame. Behind Corrin was a seemingly endless road towards the mountains.

" _Damn it all. Surely that wary lieutenant can spare me something. I hope I live long enough to not regret this!"_


	3. Chapter 2: The Sword by my Side

**Chapter 2: The Sword by My Side**

"Dastards! We are outnumbered!" exclaimed Chrom as he approach the village center.

"Milord, I count at least eight of them led by one chief. A total of nine bandits, milord." said Frederick as he brandished his silver lance.

"Chrom, what do we do? We can't take them head on! Not like this!" Lissa cowered behind Frederick's horse.

The atmosphere was noisy with the screams of the villagers and the shouts of the bandits. Sparks of fire bathed the sky red and an immense heat enveloped the whole village. Faint footsteps could be heard from the side and it became louder as it the sound came closer to Chrom.

"Milord. Someone approaches," Frederick turned towards Chrom's right "Best be wary. Perhaps even these bandits are clothed in armor."

"H-hold. Ser Frederick. 'Tis a Pegasus Knight from Ylisstol…" a female pegasus knight said faintly as she struggled to keep her lance just above her chest.

"Gods! You are bleeding! Let me heal you!" approached Lissa with her staff. "O, Naga, cleanse your servant of her burden! Begone, foul wounds! Heal!" A bright light shown for a brief moment, and slowly the knight's wounds closed.

"Many thanks, milady. Had we brought healers, perhaps my pegasus would not have suffered her ill fate." the knight's eyes filled with tears as she clutched her lance tightly.

"Those dastards will pay! Can you walk?" Chrom asked the wounded knight. "Barely, milord, but I will fight by your side." replied the knight. Chrom shook his head and said "None of that. You have done more than enough today. Head back to Ylisstol. Take the northern route through the forest. It should be safe at this hour. Warn Phila and request for reinforcements. We will take it from here."

"Aye, milord. I apologize that I cannot serve by your side, but I will follow your orders." replied the knight as she stood up. "Make haste. Better late than never!" exclaimed Chrom as he drew out his sword.

The pegasus knight ran northward, her lance still firmly clutched. The matter at hand still stands unresolved.

"Milord, we still have the bandits to deal with. If we do not intervene, this village will be lost and its people homeless." said Frederick.

"I know, Frederick. But we are sorely outnumbered." replied Chrom.

"Perhaps you could furnish me with a weapon and I could even the odds?" a voice broke the silence.

A lady with a queer garb approach Chrom. "C-Corrin?!" exclaimed Chrom. "You followed us! But why?"

Corrin shrugged and said "I couldn't just stand and wait while my captors fight bandits."

Frederick smirked and replied "We never captured you, Corrin. We merely wanted to escort you here. Might I ask how you will fight with no weapon?"

Corrin scratched her head as she looked for a weapon to scavenge. Frederick then dismounted and approached Chrom.

"Milord, might I suggest that you lend Corrin your rapier?" said Frederick.

"A fine suggestion, but not anyone knows how to use this." Chrom said as he held the rapier still firmly sheathed on his left.

"Corrin doesn't have much of a choice. We can't have her fight bare-handed now, can we?" Frederick replied.

"I suppose you're right," Chrom said as he untied his rapier "Corrin! Use this!" he exclaimed as he threw his rapier.

"Hup!" cried Corrin as she caught the rapier. "My thanks, Lord Chrom." Corrin then unsheathed it and held the grip firmly.

" _Best I fight with simple form for now."_ thought Corrin as she felt the weight of the rapier.

"Strength in numbers, Corrin. We proceed together!" said Chrom.

Frederick, Lissa, and Corrin nodded as they looked at each other. The village was not going to get any quieter and the fire continued to spread.

Frederick and Corrin led their small group, with both of them at the front. "Remember, Corrin, they will show us no quarter." said Frederick.

"Gyargh! Shepherds!" shouted a bandit. "Let's get 'em!" shouted another bandit.

The first bandit leapt forward towards Corrin. "Hrmph!" cried Corrin as she swiftly dodged the attack.

"Cheeky little rat! Dodge this!" shouted the second bandit as he dashed towards Corrin.

"Blast!" exclaimed Corrin as she prepared to block the incoming attack.

"Not while I draw breath!" cried Frederick as he nudged Corrin out of harm's way.

"Thanks, Frederick." said Corrin as she sighed with relief.

"Don't forget, Corrin, I'm here as well! I'm not a helpless delicate lass, you know. Just a quick wave of my staff and you can kiss your wounds good bye!" said Lissa as she grinned while she held her staff firmly.

"A proper use of a vulnerary will also prevent the worst. I only have enough for three uses, however, so use them wisely." added Chrom.

"Hey! Stop blabberin' and eat pavement!" screamed the first bandit.

"Hmph." Chrom stepped swiftly to the side and with a quick slash, slew the first bandit.

"Yer gonna pay for that!" cried the second bandit as he ran towards Chrom to avenge his comrade.

"Now you're finished!" exclaimed Corrin as she dashed from Chrom's side and stabbed the bandit's heart.

"Gack! Pesky…little….rat…." said the bandit as his last breath escaped him.

"Many thanks, Corrin." said Chrom. "You sure know how to use a sword."

" _Gulp."_ "Well, I had some formal training." replied Corrin.

"Still…that's no ordinary sword you wield." said Chrom.

"Milord, we still have the bandits to deal with." interrupted Frederick as he pointed his lance towards the main hall of the village.

"It appears these two bandits were merely guarding their only exit. Had they turned around and called for help, we would definitely be outnumbered." replied Chrom.

"Perhaps the rest of the bandits are pillaging the other corners of the village. Chrom, what is the richest part of this village?" asked Corrin.

"That would be the village main hall. It doubles as a church and a Shrine of Naga. If I wanted treasures, trinkets, and artifacts, that's where I would definitely be." answered Chrom.

Frederick then insisted "Then to the main hall we must go."

As they approached the main hall, footsteps and laughter of the bandits could be heard echoing from the inside.

"Milord, I see two bandits and their chief." whispered Frederick. "Perhaps we can catch them unawares?"

"I suppose so. If we deal with their chief, they should flee. Without their leader they will scatter and the village should be safe until Phila arrives." replied Chrom. "Corrin, what do you think?"

"Frederick is not as powerful without his horse and we can't very well bring that armored horse in here, it will give our position away." answered Corrin. "I'll take the bandit on the left, you and Frederick take the right."

Lissa stood up and said "W-wait! What about…"

Corrin exclaimed "Let's go!"

Chrom, Frederick, and Corrin let out a roar that caught the bandits by surprise.

"What in the-! Shepherds! To arms, men!" shouted one of the bandits. Corrin swiftly dashed towards the bandit before he could get his axe ready and struck his neck with the rapier. "To death with you, bandit!" said Corrin.

"Let's see that armored sod get a taste of magics" snickered a bandit mage just across Corrin. "Grima! Let these heathens succumb to your breath! Wind!"

"Frederick! Look out!" screamed Corrin.

"Wha-? Gack-!" shouted Frederick as he hit the floor hard.

"You are going to pay dearly for that. Now I'm angry!" said Chrom as he let out a roar. "Hraugh!"

Chrom split the bandit's mage head in two as Lissa approach Frederick to help him. "Don't mind me milady…It's nothing but-ugh!" Lissa immediately waved her staff and told Frederick "No, it's not just anything, Frederick. Your armor got pierced by that magic and hit your body without resistance. It's like taking a clean shot from a club to the body!"

Frederick held his side as he slowly stood up. "I-I suppose so, but thanks to your healing magics it doesn't hurt as much now."

"You dundering Shepherds! May axe will taste rich bl-" A sharp tip of a sword exited the mouth of the bandit. Corrin pulled it out and said "Stealing food is a minor crime I can show mercy to. But slaying innocents…"

Corrin wiped the blood off the rapier with her cape as she walked towards Chrom. The air was filled with screams of the cowering bandits. The noise slowly subsided and the villagers slowly came out of their homes and gathered at the main hall. Wings of landing pegasi could also be heard outside the main hall. "It seems reinforcements have arrived. They seem to be looking for you, Chrom."

A battle-hardened woman with her hair tied on the back quickly approached Chrom. "Milord! I apologize for our untimely arrival! I thought something was amiss when I saw the smoke rising from the village during my rounds along the outer walls of Yllistol!" Chrom replied "It is fine, Phila. You had your duties to the Exalt. Our new companion here provided us the help we needed."

Phila looked to Corrin and said "Then you have my thanks, stranger. Milord, at least allow us to help the villagers and repair the damages the bandits brought upon the buildings."

"That I will allow." Chrom replied.

"Ahem. So it seems you can really handle yourself in a fight, Corrin." Interrupted Frederick. "Perhaps you can also tell us how you ended up in the fields just outside this village?"

"If I knew, Ser Frederick I would let you know. But I'm afraid I cannot recollect any of the events before I woke up and saw you three." answered Corrin as she shook her head.

"Now, now, Frederick, we can bring this conversation to Ylisstol, where it is much safer. No doubt the villagers will want to reward us, but we must make haste and report to the capital. We will have to increase the number of sentries along our borders even more." Chrom said as he sheathed his sword.

"Milord, our forces grow thin as it is." replied Frederick.

"Then we will convene a war council to discuss this." said Chrom.

"Let's go then! I do not want to spend another minute here." exclaimed Lissa.

Corrin approach Chrom with his rapier in hand and said "Umm…Chrom? You can have your sword back."

"Keep it for now. We are a good distance away from Ylisstol and we are not completely safe yet. We are however far from any worse dangers." replied Chrom with a smile of relief.

" _Sigh…I guess I'm not getting away that easy."_ Corrin thought. "Then to Ylisstol we must go. I could also go for a nice bath and warm food."

Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa let out a chuckle in agreement. The four of them then made their way to Ylisstol.


	4. Chapter 3: Bonds Like These

**Chapter 3: Bonds Like These**

Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, and Corrin traveled a good distance towards Ylisstol. The sun finally sunk and a full white moon greeted their evening.

Frederick paused and said "Milord, it would be wise to stop and camp here. I believe the bandits would have not made it this far out."

Chrom untied his sword and replied "I'll agree to that. My feet could use a good break as well."

Lissa and Corrin held their stomachs as they made a growling sound. Frederick let out a chuckle as he said "A good break and some supper would do us some good." Frederick dismounted and continued "Now who wants to build a camp and collect some firewood?"

"Corrin and I will go gather the firewood." replied Chrom as he reached for his sword on the ground.

However, Frederick stopped Chrom and said "Milord, if I may suggest I be the one to collect firewood and Corrin shall accompany me."

Chrom sighed and left his sword on the ground then replied "Very well then. Lissa and I will set up camp and pitch a tent."

"But Chro-o-om…I don't want to pitch up a tent! There are bugs everywhere! Agh! Won goph in mah mouph! Blech! Ptooey!" cried Lissa as she tried to shoo the bugs with her staff.

"Come on, Lissa. It builds character!" said Chrom.

"I have enough character, thank you! I could use some lessons from Maribelle on how to be more like a princess though…" replied Lissa as she sulked.

Chrom then tied Frederick's horse to a tree and told Lissa "Fine then. Either help or don't make things harder for me."

"Well then, milord, Corrin and I shall venture out to gather some firewood." said Frederick as he took his silver lance.

Frederick gestured towards Corrin and said "Come, Corrin. Best we go now and move quickly while the moon is still bright."

"Aye, sir Frederick." replied Corrin.

Corrin and Frederick ventured deeper into the forest while Chrom prepared the camp as Lissa watched.

"Chrom, what do you think of Corrin?" asked Lissa.

"I think she's an honest person and good at heart." answered Chrom.

Lissa crossed her arms and said "Frederick doesn't seem to agree with you."

Chrom chuckled and said "Well that is why he is Frederick the Wary. I would rather trust a stranger than leave a stranger to an ill fate merely because my doubt stopped me from helping."

Lissa approached Chrom and said "I guess that's why you are the captain of the Shepherds! I guess I'll also help you with the tent."

Deeper in the forest, Corrin and Frederick continued to gather firewood. An awkward silence filled the air between the two.

Frederick broke the silence and said "Corrin, I have a question for you." He put his stack of firewood on the ground and looked at Corrin and continued on. "I only ask that you answer honestly and truthfully."

Corrin placed her stack of firewood on the ground and replied "Of course. What is it you wish to ask?"

Frederick put on a stern posture and asked "Where are you from?"

Corrin sighed as she thought _"He won't believe me even if I told him. But if I am to live to see home again…"_ Corrin looked Frederick straight in his eyes and answered "I am from the Kingdom of Nohr."

Frederick pouted and replied "Do you think me a fool? Tell me where you are _really_ from, Corrin."

Corrin let out another sigh. "Sir Frederick, I do not think you a fool, especially after what we have been through today. I can tell that you trust only those honest to you and those who show absolutely no ill intent towards Lord Chrom. I swear on my life on your fragile "trust" for me and on Chrom's safety that I am from the kingdom that I speak of."

Frederick smirked as he picked up his stack of firewood. "Corrin, that is perhaps what I wanted to hear from you. From a knight to another, you swore your life for a cause. For now I shall trust you to some extent, but it will do you good to remember that I will always keep my watchful eye on you."

"Like you did on that mage who clobbered you with wind magic?" replied Corrin as she picked up her stack of firewood.

Frederick coughed and blushed lightly. "That was merely a moment of carelessness. For the sake of my liege such trivial matters only serve to strengthen my resolve."

Corrin then began to walk towards the camp and told Frederick "You and I should spar some time to strengthen each other's resolve."

"I will hold you to that." said Frederick with a smile.

Back at camp, Chrom and Lissa just finished pitching up the tent.

Chrom noticed the arrival of Frederick and Corrin as he looked to his right. "Ah, here they are now."

"Took you two long enough. Chrom and I finished pitching the tent ages ago!" cried Lissa as she tidied herself up.

Frederick examined Lissa's dress and said "The dirt on your dress says otherwise, milady. I will however thank you for your valiant efforts in pitching up the tent."

Lissa pouted while Chrom and Corrin laughed.

"The night is beginning to darken. Thank the gods we were able to make the campfire in time." said Frederick. "I do however suggest we sleep in turns. Perhaps milord and Corrin might stand watch first?"

Chrom and Lissa looked at Frederick in awe. They were shocked that he trusted Corrin with a task without him to watch over her.

Corrin and Chrom patrolled a few paces away from the camp. Eventually their rounds made them meet at a common point.

Corrin let out a sigh as she spoke with Chrom. "This day has been nothing but excitement and strange encounters for me."

Chrom patted Corrin on her shoulder and replied "And yet here you are alive and well."

"All thanks to Captain Chrom and his loyal Shepherds." said Corrin with a smile.

Chrom inspected Corrin's strange outfit and wondered "You know, that is a very interesting piece of armor you wear, Corrin. I am not familiar with the design since it doesn't have the gentle stitching of Ylisse or the dark purple motif of Plegia. It certainly isn't Feroxi since it lacks piece of heavy metal."

Corrin gave Chrom a worried look as she replied "If I told you that I am from a Kingdom that no one, not even your loyal Frederick has ever heard of, will you believe me?"

Chrom wore a serious face as he answered "Tell me and we will find out."

"I'd rather we talked about my homeland some other time and at a better place." said Corrin as she gave a weak smile.

"Then your homeland shall remain a mystery until we reach such a place." replied Chrom. He then look at Corrin top to bottom and said "You certainly have an air of royalty about you."

Corrin blushed but said "Flattery is cheap, Chrom. From where I come from, there is more to royalty than looks and clothing."

With a startled voice, Chrom replied "Sounds like Feroxi politics to me. Regna Ferox values battle over words when it comes to politics."

Corrin chuckled and said "There is more to battle than swords, lances, axes, and magics. And there is definitely more to politics that flattery, subterfuge, and the silver tongue."

Chrom let out a laugh and said "You are definitely not from somewhere near here, that is for sure. I look forward to our arrival at Ylisstol."

Corrin smiled once more as she began her rounds and told Chrom "I look forward to it too, Lord Chrom. Hopefully Frederick can provide us some privacy when the time comes."

Chrom laughed again and replied "Don't worry. Frederick is a lot nicer and more lenient while I am in Ylisstol."

As they continued their rounds, Corrin noticed at blue light shining in the distance.

" _I should probably inform Chrom about this, but I don't think I should trouble him with something until I am sure it's worth mentioning."_

Corrin slowly approached the source of the light. As she approached, she noticed that the light turned purple. The light let out a pillar of light that pierced the sky. The ground shook and the rumbling earth knocked Corrin off-balance.

" _Run. Now I should really run!"_ Corrin ran as fast she could back to camp where she found a startled Frederick and Lissa. Chrom was also running towards the camp.

Corrin quickly drew her sword and said "Chrom! Frederick! I found a pillar of light not far from here!"

A frightened Lissa grasped her staff tightly and said "I-it might b-be magic. O-o-or-or ghosts!"

Frederick got on his horse and replied "Now is not the time for jests, milady. Best we investigate before it aggravates!"

Chrom tied his sword around his waist, drew it, and said "I agree. Lissa stay at the rear. Corrin, watch Lissa. Frederick and I will take the front."

Corrin nodded and held Lissa's hand as Frederick and Chrom walked towards the direction the light was coming from.

"Gods…what manner of magic is this?!" shouted Chrom as he stared at the pillar of light.

"Chrom! Look above it! It's a circle of some sort!" exclaimed Lissa as she pointed skyward.

A circle with a white border spawned in the dark sky. Its borders were filled with illegible and foreign words and a deep hue of purple filled the center. Moments later bodies were pouring out of it.

"Milord! Enemies are approaching! Three of them!" said Frederick as he readied his silver lance.

"I'll handle this!" said Chrom as he leaped towards one of the foes. "Hrryugh!" Chrom's swift horizontal slash met the foe.

"GROAARGHRYHGHH!" roared the still living enemy.

"Wha-!" screamed a startled Chrom.

As Chrom turned around and prepared to cushion the blow with a premature parry, the enemy stopped just two steps from him, then finally fell.

"Best we stick together side-by-side." suggested Corrin.

Frederick rushed to Chrom's side and said "Milord! Are you alright?!"

Chrom smiled faintly and replied "I'm fine, Frederick, thanks to Corrin."

Frederick gave Corrin a genuine smile and a bow as he examined Chrom from head to toe.

Lissa then yelled "Chrom! I can hear clashing a few paces from here! I can't tell if they are allies or enemies though…"

Corrin stepped in front of Lissa and stared to the distance. Corrin noticed that two figures were fending off the enemies that are pouring out of the strange magic circle.

"Milord, might I suggest we investigate, but from a distance. We must first know if they are friend or foe." said Frederick as he finished examining Chrom.

"An enemy of my enemy is as good as any close ally, Frederick. It is in cases like these when we cannot afford to be too cautious." replied Chrom.

Frederick first shook his head and sighed but eventually nodded in agreement with Chrom. "Come, milady." said Frederick as he helped Lissa mount his horse. "You will be safer behind me on horseback."

Chrom then tapped Corrin's shoulder and said "Let's proceed, Corrin."

Corrin smiled and thought to herself _"Excitement after another. I pray that this will eventually end with us alive."_ She then ran alongside Chrom towards the two figures fighting in the distance.


	5. Chapter 4: Enemy of My Enemy

**Chapter 4: Enemy of My Enemy**

The once white sky illuminated by the moon was now a deep purple hue. Sounds of clashing and screaming was the music of that night.

Chrom, Corrin, Frederick, and Lissa made their way to the deep center of the forest where two unknown figures were fighting. One of them was clad in a simple blue outfit. He wore a royal looking tiara and had short blue hair. The young man wielded a strange looking sword and fought with a certain grace. The other was a snow-white haired woman in a purple robe. She had a bronze sword tied to her waist while she fended off the monsters of unknown origin.

Frederick, crouched down next to Chrom just a few steps away from the two strangers whispered "Milord, I believe these two strangers be our allies. At least for now until we have determined the origins of these foul beasts."

Chrom nodded and drew his sword. "Let us proceed with caution. The woman in the robe seems to wield magic. If we startle her, she might very well strike us with her magics."

Chrom and Corrin slowly made their way to the open field where the two strangers were fighting the foul beasts. Frederick and Lissa went around and dealt with the fewer beasts that were making their way to the center.

The center of the forest was a wide open field with an abandoned fortress in the middle. The young man was valiantly defending the front of the fort while the woman was destroying the monsters with her magic from the top of the fort with ease.

"Corrin, I'll take care of the beasts on the rear flank of the fort. You approach the front slowly and make it known to the stranger that you are an ally." said Chrom as he prepared to make his way around the open field.

Corrin leaped from the bushes and encountered three monsters. She recalled that this manner of beasts cannot be slain with a simple strike. To adequately put it, these monsters are not human.

Corrin whispered to herself as she reached for something in her pocket _"Well…now that I am alone, I can finally use this…"_ Corrin brought out peculiar orb out of her pocket and embraced it as she closed her eyes. The air around her turned into a violent cyclone. She then emerged out if it with wings and four legs. No longer did these monsters fight a human. They were going against a monster as well; a dragon. Corrin rammed the monsters with ease with her sturdy head that had sharp horns. All that was left in her wake was the rotting corpses of the now slain monsters.

Frederick and Lissa were a good distance away from the middle of the forest and the bulk of the monsters. "Alas for you! And you!" shouted Frederick as he brandished his silver lance in a skillful sweep that beheaded two monsters. All Lissa could do know was mend any wounds Frederick would sustain and ease him of his increasing fatigue.

Lissa then said "Frederick, maybe you could take a break? I can see well from the horse and I don't see any more of those creepy monsters."

Frederick shook his head and replied "Were it a sunny day, I may perhaps consider your offer. But now we are at the deepest of hour of the night. We cannot afford to relax for even a moment."

A menacing roar broke the silence as a monster leaped towards the horse from the trees above Frederick and Lissa.

"Milady!" screamed Frederick as the monster's axe met Frederick's silver lance. The impact knocked both Frederick and Lissa off the horse and knocked the horse unconscious. Unfortunately, the horse's weight was resting heavily on Frederick and pinned him down on a tree. His silver lance was just out of reach.

Lissa watched in fear as the monster walked slowly but surely towards a helpess Frederick. Lissa looked at Frederick with great worry and Frederick looked back with a stern face. Frederick shouted "Milady! Now is your chance! Run!" as he struggled to reach for his silver lance.

Tears from Lissa's eyes wet the ground beneath her as she panicked. "Frederick, I can't just leave you here. You might die!"

Frederick replied angrily "If you stay, we will _BOTH_ die!"

The monster screamed louder and louder as he approached Frederick with its grotesque looking axe. Frederick let out a sigh as he closed his eyes. As the monster raised the axe, the voice of a woman suddenly roared from behind Frederick.

"I got ya covered, you oaf! Now...where shall I stab ya?!" yelled a woman as a swiftly galloping horse emerged behind Frederick. With a mighty thrust, the woman on the horse stabbed the monster straight in the head. The woman was not alone, for a young girl was riding with her.

"S-Sully?!" said a startled Frederick. "What are you doing here of all places? And at this time of night?!"

Sully approached Frederick and helped him lift the horse off him and said "I was doin' my rounds just outside the garrison when I met some flamboyant rich looking buffoon. He kept blabberin' about how he's the archest of archers and how my hair reminded him of a crimson-red rose he once gave a lady…"

Frederick interrupted and said "Sully, get to the point."

"Sorry, Frederick." replied Sully. "As I said, that buffoon kept blabberin' on until I saw this girl runnin' towards us. She looks a lot like a noblewoman to me."

Frederick, Lissa, and Sully all looked towards the young girl who got off Sully's horse. She wore a black and white dress and had a frilly white bow on her head. As she tidied herself up, a knife fell from under her skirt. Frederick lowered his stance as he prepared to defend Lissa and Sully.

"H-huaa-! P-pardon me!" said the young girl.

"Excuse her." replied Sully. "She's clumsy. _Very_ clumsy. She fell of the horse probably eight times. She fell off while getting _on_ the horse about three times." continued Sully who then broke into laughter.

"M-my n-name i-is F-Fe-Felicia." stuttered the young girl as she bowed. "I apologize for startling you with my knife. It's embarrassing to say this, but I'm clumsy, as the lady just said."

"What house do you serve?" inquired Frederick. "Your uniform suggests you serve a royal family."

Felicia let out a gulp, then stared at Frederick's neck. "I see you are also one that shares my profession?" She laughed as she stared intently at Frederick's neck. "You for some reason conceal it…"

Frederick coughed and asked sternly "What house do you serve? That is all I wish to know."

Felicia replied "I serve Princess Corrin. And that is why I am here. I've been searching for my master for a while now…"

Frederick and Lissa looked at each other and at the same time said "P-Princess Corrin?!"

Sully looked at them and asked "You know this Princess then? Where is she from? Plegia? Regna Ferox? Maybe even from Valm?!"

Felicia looked confused as Sully wondered as to what the origin of Corrin was. Frederick and Lissa still could not believe that the lady they wanted to interrogate, fought with, and camped with was actually royalty.

Chrom rushed towards the rear gates of the abandoned fort. "Huh…I guess the monsters really just charged head-on from the front." said Chrom as he examined the fortress gate. He noticed that the material is extremely old as shown by the cracks and sound it makes as Chrom tapped it with the side of his sword.

"I guess this is just like training." whispered Chrom as he smashed a side of the gate. It tore open and he entered the fort in search of the stairs that led to the woman in purple robes.

"I sure hope Corrin has met the stranger. I should probably wait for Corrin and the man to enter the fort before I meet this lady."

A tap from a metal object met Chrom's shoulder. Before Chrom could turn around, a woman's voice said "Turn around and I will fry you." A gulp escaped Chrom as he raised his hands up and remained still.

"There is more to magic than just blowing wind, conjuring a fire and zapping objects you know..." said the woman. "What say you? Friend or foe?"

Chrom calmly replied "I would like to say friend, but I don't recall friends making life threats like these."

The woman let out a laugh and asked Chrom "Who is this Corrin person and what does this acquaintance of yours plan to do to my friend?"

Chrom replied calmy once more "We were to meet with you. We wanted to deal with the monsters first to avoid situations like these where caution hampered any civil way of talking."

"Well what a nice greeting gift you give us then. A pile of corpses and my rear flank broken." replied the woman. "I will admit I am surprised you smashed that wall with little effort."

Chrom's hands closed into a fist as he said "Please, milady. Let me go. I want to make sure my friend is fine."

The woman chuckled then replied "Oh don't worry, your friend should be fine. Especially considering who your friend is actually meeting…"

Corrin, now exhausted, fell to the ground as she gasped for air. _"I am never doing that again…"_ she thought to herself. As she got up, the back of her head felt something sharp. She immediately froze still.

"One wrong move and the ground is the last thing you see." said a voice. "You don't seem to be trying to kill me since you killed those monsters I was going to kill anyway. But what you are…it begs the question as to what your intent is."

Corrin, still gasping for air, asked "H-how did you get here? And so fast? Moments before I began fighting, you were still dealing with the monsters charging for the abandoned fortress…"

The man pushed Corrin to the ground and replied "Simple. I killed them so fast I had time to run here. Your magnificent transformation caught my attention so I just had to investigate it. Without any more enemies approaching, now seemed like the most opportune time. Perhaps too opportune since we are surrounded by corpses and nothing more." Corrin turned around and the man dashed closer to Corrin and put the blade's tip inches away from her neck. "Now tell me. What are you doing here?"

"I'm not here to kill you. I am here to meet you." replied Corrin. "A friend of mine is probably in the fort by now also meeting your companion in purple robes."

The man smirked and replied "Pray that your friend is met with better results than what you have now."

Footsteps that approached closer and closer eventually emerged. It was Chrom and the woman in robes. "Technically both of these fools are in a dire situation." The woman looked at Corrin and said "Huh…You must be Corrin."

Chrom and Corrin looked at each other and let out a sigh of relief. The woman and the man then lowered their weapons. The man walked towards Chrom and asked him "Did my friend harm you?"

Chromed shook his head. The woman in the robes shrugged and walked towards the man. The man spoke once again to Chrom "The world now teeters at the brink of destruction. Tonight was but a warning."

A confused Chrom asked "What do you mean by that?! What sort of omen is this?!"

The woman looked at Chrom and said "What happened tonight is what is going to happen a few years from now, only worse." Two horses then emerged from the trees and caught the woman and the man unaware.

"Don't move." said Frederick as he pointed his silver lance towards the man. Frederick looked at Chrom and Corrin and said "Milord, Co-. *Ahem. Milady, thank God you are ok."

The woman in robes leaped back and prepared her tome to chant a spell but Sully's lance was facing her just inches away from her head. "Quick and dirty. I like it." said Sully.

Frederick looked at the man and the woman and said "Tell us your names and you will not be harmed. We wish only to talk. Pray, remember that we fought a common enemy, and that our goals probably do not differ."

The man introduced himself. "You may call me Marth."

Chrom and Lissa look startled upon hearing the name Marth. Chrom asked "Marth? Like the Hero-King? You certainly fight like one."

The woman put her tome down and introduced herself as well. "My name is Robin."

Frederick approached Robin with an aggressive stance and asked "What is a Plegian doing in the Ylissean fields?!"

Robin calmy replied "Good sir, I am also wondering the same thing. I have no idea where I am or where I am from."

Lissa ran to Frederick's side to calm him down and said "Frederick! It's probably similar to Corrin's case! Amnesia!"

"It's called a load of pegasus dung." replied Frederick. "One person with amnesia? I might consider it. But two? This cannot be coincidence."

"Whatever the case is, I do not like where we are right now. I say we put the hostility on hold and continue this conversation in Ylisstol." interrupted Chrom.

"Beg pardon, Lord Chrom." said Marth. "But I cannot go with you."

Chrom gave Marth a stern look but replied "Fine. When our paths cross once more I hope it will be in good favor."

Marth nodded and walked away from them.

Frederick gave Chrom a doubtful look. Chrom said"He cares for nothing but our safety and that is what my heart believes."

Frederick smiled and said "And what of your mind? Will you at least listen to it?"

Chrom shook his head and approached Robin. "And what of you, Robin? Will you also leave us?"

Robin looked at Chrom, then at Frederick. "Your knight doesn't seem to want me anywhere near you."

Chrom looked at Frederick and said "Considering what has transpired tonight, Frederick, these two actually outsmarted and outmaneuvered me and Corrin as well. If the omen they speak of is true, we could use a tactful mind among us."

Frederick stood still and replied "I have nothing more to say, milord. Do as you please and I shall continue to obey."

Chrom frowned but gave Frederick a thankful nod. He then handed Robin her tome and said "Well then, Robin. Would you like to formally join the Sheperds?"

Robin smiled and said "Gladly, Lord Chrom."

Felicia, who was hiding behind a tree the whole time ran out and embraced Corrin.

"Milady! Milady!" cried Felicia. "I am relieved to know that you are alright!"

Corrin smiled and said "I'm pleased to see you too, Felicia. But how did you get here?!"

"I can explain later. As Chrom said, now is not the time for much talk. We must go to safety and I must really get to washing your clothes!" replied Felicia.

Sully chuckled and said "I agree. I want to head back to the capital at once. I'll also get your steed taken care of, Frederick."

"My thanks." replied Frederick. "Well then, shall we proceed to Ylisstol?"

"We will do so tomorrow morning, Frederick." said Chrom. "Tonight has not been an easy night for all of us. We rest at the fort over there and leave at daybreak."

Everyone agreed to spend the night at the abandoned fort until tomorrow greets them with a better day.


	6. Chapter 5: Foundation

**Chapter 5: Foundation of the New Shepherds**

At Dawn, Chrom's loyal knight, Frederick, was the first to wake up to prepare breakfast, tea, and clothing for his liege. To his surprise, someone was already preparing tea. Ever cautious, each step he made was more silent than the previous one. As he got closer, he realized that this person was wearing something he has seen before, a maid's outfit. He let out a sigh a relief as he concluded that this person was in fact, an ally.

"Good day to you, Felicia" said Frederick.

Felicia put down the pot of tea and turned around and said "Good day to you, Sir Frederick." As she bowed.

"Do you always wake up this early in the morning?" questioned Frederick.

"But of course!" replied Felicia. "It is my utmost duty to prepare milady's necessities for the day before she even wakes up. I couldn't call myself her maid if I couldn't fulfill my basic duties."

Frederick examined the table behind Felicia. On it was a warm breakfast that consisted of a basic bread, two eggs, and some sliced apples on the side. He also noticed on the foot of the table lay a slender sword that look newly sharpened.

Frederick asked "My kind lady, may I ask whose sword that is?"

Felicia walked to the sword, picked it up and said "This is Corrin's family sword."

Frederick replied "It doesn't look like any sword I have seen before. The way the metal shines against the sun is peculiar."

Felicia smiled as she explained what makes the sword special. "This sword is actually made from a special metal found only from the mines in my hometown. It shines crystal blue against the sun and snow white against the moon. Any person can carry it, but only Corrin can swing it."

Frederick reached for the sword and said "May I?" Felicia sighed but gave Frederick the sword. At first glance, the sword is indeed a work of art. For a sword with a blade this slender and of medium length, the weight was actually a lot lighter than it should be. Frederick was confident that he can swing it with ease, but much to his surprise as he swung the sword, the weight turned into the equivalent of a suit of armor made out of the heaviest and sturdiest metals.

"Gods…so this is what you meant by only Corrin can swing it." said Frederick as he picked it up from the ground.

"Indeed. This is why I am careful when I polish and sharpen the sword. If I so much as move it as if to swing it, I fear the sword will cut me as it falls to the ground." said Felicia.

"If I may be so bold to ask, but perhaps you can teach me how to do the same for milord's sword? And if you may spare some of the materials from your homeland, mayhap it might improve milord's sword tenfold." requested Frederick.

A surprised Felicia replied "Well…I am not used to teach someone anything. I actually do more of learning than teaching but I'd be glad to be of service to you and to Lord Chrom."

Chrom, Lissa, and Robin finally woke up and made their way out of the tent to see Frederick and Felicia preparing breakfast and tea for the rest of them.

Frederick noticed Chrom approaching and rushed in front and bowed to Chrom. "Good morning, milord. I am pleased to say this morning is a pleasant one. The sun is bright but not too hot and is accompanied by a cool breeze."

Chrom sighed and said "Thank you, Frederick, but you do not need to greet me this way every morning. I will however look forward to the tea you prepare every morning."

Frederick replied "This time around milord, Felicia and I are the ones preparing the tea for everyone, so it will perhaps be the first time you will taste tea of this kind. To be honest it will also be my first."

Lissa interrupted and said "Frederick! May I watch and maybe help? I want to learn too!"

Frederick smiled and said "But of course milady can join us. Come now, if you help us maybe we can finish quickly."

Chrom smiled as he watched Lissa run alongside Frederick back to the table where Felicia was still preparing breakfast and tea. He noticed Robin sitting at the table on the far left of where the other three were preparing. As he approached, he noticed on the table lay a stack of books, a map of Ylisse and its surrounding halidoms, and the robe she wore the night before.

"I guess your morning rituals consist of studying this diligent?" said Chrom as he approached Robin.

"I thought these books of yours I found in the saddlebags of Frederick's horse are gathering too much dust. And I also want to educate myself about Ylisse and its neighbors" replied Robin.

"And your robe?" pointed Chrom.

Robin smiled and replied "It is such a nice day so I thought I'd take my robe off and let more of my body enjoy the weather. It's not every day I get to experience a day this good, and last night was not exactly one of those pleasant days we have or even an ordinary day we encounter."

Impressed, Chrom smiled as well and said "Indeed last night was a trying day for all of us. Corrin and Sully in fact are still sound asleep. Every day, even for you, shouldn't be studies and work. You should relax a bit. Besides, you have time and more books to read when we reach Ylisstol."

Robin thought for a moment and said "I guess so… It feels like it's been awhile since I actually kicked up and relax. I really look forward to a hot bath. I also need to clean these robes and fix my hair. A lady has needs after all."

Chrom blushed and coughed as he tried to hide a chuckle or two.

Robin noticed this and asked "What? Did I say something peculiar?"

Chrom hesitated for a moment, but he replied "Well…My view of a lady is someone prim and proper. She must have a noble air around her, a certain pleasant smell from her hair, and has a certain delicate grace about her. You on the other hand are skilled in battle, tactics, swordplay, and magic! I guess I just never saw you as a woman."

Robin frowned and said "Excuse me?!"

Scared, Chrom ran and said "Well, it seems Frederick needs my help preparing tea! You go read your books while I help them!"

"Chrom! You little…ugh…." said Robin as a sigh left her. "Well if he doesn't see me as a lady, I guess I can say the same and say I don't see him as a lord. He is more of a captain than a lord to me, and that hair. That hair can really use some combing. Hmph."

Frederick, nearly done with preparations for breakfast and tea, asked Lissa "Milady, can you please go to the tent over there and wake up Corrin and Sully? We must eat breakfast, have tea as soon as possible so we can leave for Ylisstol"

Lissa nodded and made her way to the tent of Corrin and Sully to wake them up. As she lifted the flap, much to her surprise, they weren't there. As she entered to look for any clues as to where they went, she heard clashing of steel and two women fighting. Worried, she went to the back of the tent and took a peek outside from the inside and saw Corrin and Sully sparring.

"Huh…Y-you're pretty good with your footwork, Corrin" said Sully as she struggled to catch her breath.

"You yourself…*sigh…have a pretty good spear arm. I'm having trouble getting close to you." replied a fatigued Corrin.

"Well…Sir Frederick did teach us the basics of the weapon triangle. A sword's reach has no match for the length of a lance." said Sully.

"We-weapon triangle?" said Corrin. "Hah. I guess our two nations aren't too different at all. I remember Gunther teaching me the same concept. The balance of a sword's speed, power, and weight is perfect match for any hefty and slow axe."

Sully smiled and said "Shall we go one more round? I'd like to even up the match."

Corrin chuckled and replied "The only thing you're going to get from me is a kiss from the ground."

Sully prepared her lance and Corrin lowered her stance as she prepared to close the gap between her and Sully. Corrin tucked her body as she ran swiftly towards Sully. Sully readied herself to dodge towards one side and trip Corrin with a low, wide sweep. She had to make a decision. Will Corrin make her final step straight at her, or will she step to the left or right before making that final step?

" _I hate how she's quite tall but really swift for her size. That damn height gives her the extra reach."_ Thought Sully. _"I got lucky once where I guessed left and nudged her, but twice I was beaten simply because she outruns me. What the hell would Frederick do?!"_

Sully decided to use the lance's reach and instead of beating Corrin in speed, attempt to beat her in reach. To Sully's disappointment, Corrin anticipated this and hopped acrobatically and used the tip of the lance as a step. She then jumped towards a shocked Sully and sliced her lance in half. The strength of the blow and the added fatigue of Sully was enough to knock her down to the ground.

Corrin gasped for air as she said "I'm surprised myself that you went for raw reach than trying to beat me in speed. Had you done this earlier, I might have lost."

Sully frowned and replied "It doesn't matter. I still lost. Were this a real battle, I wouldn't be alive to correct this mistake."

Corrin smiled and said "That is why we have sparring lessons like these." Corrin glanced towards the tent and shouted "Lissa. Perhaps you would like to learn swordplay from us?"

" _How in Naga's name did she notice me?!"_ thought a startled Lissa. "I'll pass, Corrin! I came here to tell you that breakfast and tea is ready!"

Corrin helped Sully up and said "Let's go. We wouldn't want to keep the others waiting."

Corrin and Sully took a quick cold "bath" before meeting the rest on the table.

"I see Sully has much to learn." said Frederick.

Sully sulked as she asked "How'd you even know we sparred and I lost?"

"Your arms tell me enough. Those scrapes and bumps are definitely not from strikes meeting another person. Those came from you landing on the ground." replied Frederick.

"Now, now, Frederick." said Chrom. "We have time for a more formal training with the rest of the Shepherds when we reach Ylisstol. Now is a time for rest, breakfast, and this exquisite tea."

Corrin took a sip from the tea and immediately realized who prepared it. "Felicia, as always your tea is the best I have ever tasted."

Felicia smiled and said "I only wish to serve you in the best of my capabilities, milady, but I am happy I please you so."

Frederick frowned slightly and said "Maybe you should taste my tea some time to compare taste."

Corrin chuckled and said "Is that jealousy I sense in your tone, Sir Frederick?"

Robin joined in the conversation and said "Maybe you'd like to give Corrin a sparring session or two as well, Sir Frederick."

Frederick smirked and said "I'll perhaps give Corrin a taste of my tea, and you, a taste of my lance."

Robin smirked as well and said "I'll even not use magics against you, since you want to show me your prowess so desperately."

Chrom interrupted and said "Can we _all_ just enjoy this meal and save the rest of this discussion for later when we reach Ylisstol?!"

Everyone calm down and apologized to Chrom. Frederick in particular said "I apologize for my earlier outburst, milord. As punishment, I will go to the river east of Ylisstol after we arrive to fetch you the freshest fi-"

Chrom raised his hand and gestured to Frederick to stop as he said "That definitely _won't_ be necessary, Frederick."

Everyone finished their meal and together they packed their things and marched towards Ylisstol.

Felicia handed Corrin her family sword and said "Milady, I took the liberty of polishing and sharpening your sword."

Corrin let out a smile and said "I never thought I'd see this again…" A tear fell as she continued on "Marx, Camilla, Elise, Leo, Ryouma, Sakura, Takumi, Hinoka…I'll come home one day. Just please stay alive until I get back home…"

" _I hope Aqua and Jacob are safe…If they really got to the bottom of that bridge, I pray that they returned to the surface alive and well._ "

Felicia brought out a napkin and wiped the tears off Corrin's face. "Milady, it would do your face no good if you cry. I'd cry in your stead but I believe I must stay strong so that you may do the same." said Felicia as she let out a weak smile. "I want to go back home too, Milady. But for now, we are here and most focus on staying alive."

Corrin nodded in agreement and replied "You are definitely right, Felicia. We must consider ourselves lucky that we found allies instead of enemies here. After we are done here, we must return home quickly if I am to stop the war between Nohr and Hoshido."

"Wait…this means…" wondered Felicia.

"Yes. This means that I cannot side with either one. I cannot fight against the family I have known and raised me for years, and I cannot very well fight my blood brothers and sisters. They are both my real family and I will die before I see them slaughter each other."


	7. Chapter 6: Welcome to Ylisstol

**Chapter 6: Welcome to Ylisstol**

Chrom and company finally arrived to the capital of Ylisse, Ylisstol. Its high walls shelter its peace-loving people from the threat of the invading Plegia that aims to start a war with the already war-torn Ylisse. With the incident of the forest already spreading around as a rumor, the streets of Ylisstol are mixed with safety and fear for the new and unknown foe that may claim any person's life outside Ylisstol.

"Welcome to Ylisstol." said Chrom to his new allies. Robin was surprised to set foot on a city so large. Corrin and Felicia were briefly reminded of the home they left behind and yearn to return to so that they may end the war that threatens two great nations.

Robin's jaw dropped as she said "Woah…This is one large city!"

"As it should be. It is the capital of Ylisse and the stronghold of its army." said Frederick as he dismounted.

They made their way to the center of Ylisstol where majority of the populace have gathered for an occasion.

"Is there an important reason for the people to gather here at such a wonderful day?" wondered Corrin.

"You will see!" replied a happy and excited Lissa.

A vanguard escorted a tall, slender, and beautiful woman that approached the people from an elevated platform. She waved and greeted the people with a smile that promotes peace.

Felicia knew immediately the moment she saw this woman that she is royalty, and no ordinary one at that. Felicia looked at Frederick and said "Is that woman the queen of Ylisse?"

Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa were startled at Felicia's guess. Frederick asked sternly "And how is it that you know this?"

Felicia smiled and answered "It's quite simple. The way she walks, the air around her, the exquisite knitting on her robes, and specially her hair. I can tell that every detail of this woman is above that of an average person." Felicia glanced at Corrin and said "You could learn a lot from this queen. You need to learn how to be more like a lady."

Corrin pouted and replied "I am no queen. I am a princess. I wake up to your freezing hands and Marx's brutal training. Simply put, I have no time to learn how to be more like a lady."

Felicia's pout became a straight face as she said "Now we do. Marx is not here to train you."

Corrin sighed and asked Chrom "May I know who exactly that queen is?"

Chrom chuckled as he answered "The proper word is "exalt". She is the Exalt of Ylisse and its leader. I guess where you come from, she is the "queen" of Ylisse."

Frederick continued "She is the embodiment of hope and peace, a beacon of light and prosperity that the people look up to for inspiration and comfort."

Lissa interrupted and said "She's also the best sister I could ever ask for!"

Robin, Corrin, and Felicia were dumbfounded at this statement. Corrin shouted "Your….SISTER?! Then that must mean…you and Chrom…"

Frederick finished her sentence as he said "are the princess and prince of Ylisse. I thought you knew?"

"I thought he was just a lord! A noble or an aristocrat! I never thought he would be a prince!" said a severely startled Corrin.

Robin bowed immediately and said "Milord! Prince Chrom! Forgive our inappropriate behavior in your presence!"

Chrom laughed as he said "Raise your heads, Robin, Corrin, and Felicia. I was never one who preferred to be treated to such formalities. In my eyes we are all equals now."

Corrin then bowed to Frederick and said "Frederick, you have my deepest sympathies. And I suppose this answers my curiosity as to why you tolerate their behavior."

"Oh, the sacrifices and the things I have to put up with for the sake of Ylisse" said a smiling Frederick. "But I continue to do so simply because I trust Lord Chrom and Lady Lissa. I cannot bear to see Lady Emmeryn to be disappointed in me because I have failed my duties as a knight to the royal family."

Felicia patted Frederick on the shoulder and said "Well with what I have seen so far you have done a great job for the royal family. All that is left is to continue to be by their side. I have more or less the same duty to Princess Corrin."

Frederick smiled and Felicia let out a chuckle.

Chrom then gestured to the group as he said "Let us go to the castle and meet my sister. I am sure she is awaiting a report."

They entered what seemed to be a simple-looking castle despite its grand façade. The knights inside wore sturdy armor than seemed to be made from simple and affordable materials. Outside circling the castle were several pegasus knights. Among those that greeted Chrom as he entered was Emmeryn's most trusted pegasus knight and the leader of the pegasus knights of Ylisse, Phila.

"Phila, you're already back?" said a surprised Chrom.

"Yes milord. I left some pegasus knights to survey the area where the bandits attacked. I returned as quickly as I could to give a report, albeit slightly brief, and also to return to milady's side." replied Phila.

"You have my thanks, Phila." said Chrom "It brings me great relief and also to Frederick and Lissa that Emmeryn has a loyal knight such as you."

Phila smiled and said "It's an honor to fulfill my duties, milord."

Emmeryn noticed Chrom and his friends and immediately approached them. As she came closer, Robin, Corrin, and Felicia immediately knelt to the floor.

Emmeryn smiled and gestured them to stand up. "Arise, friends. I am sure Chrom had you all come from a great distance."

Lissa ran to Emmeryn and hugged her. "It is great to see you again, sis!" said Lissa.

"A joy for me to see that you are alive and well, Lissa." replied Emmeryn. Emmeryn looked at Chrom and Frederick as she said "You have heard the recent rumors?"

Frederick immediately answered "Yes, milady. I was hoping to convene a war council to discuss the matters at hand."

"There is time for that later." replied Emmeryn. "I believe I have not met your new friends, Chrom?"

Chrom waved at the three new Shepherds to come closer as he introduced them. "This is Robin, a woman skilled in tactics, magics, and swordplay." Robin bowed and knelt as she was introduced. "This is Princess Corrin and her aide, Felicia. I decided to make them Shepherds and Robin as our chief tactician." Corrin and Felicia smiled and bowed to Emmeryn upon hearing this.

Emmeryn smiled and looked at Corrin from top to bottom as she said "A princess from a foreign land? And might I ask from what land?"

Corrin gulped as she thought to herself _"Great. Now a queen is to now know my origin. I guess now there really is no turning back."_ Corrin glanced at Felicia for a moment and Felicia nodded to show her full support. Corrin then looked at Emmeryn seriously and said "I am a princess of Nohr."

Emmeryn's eyes opened widely for a moment. She then said to herself "Nohr…Could it be… _that_ Nohr?" Emmeryn then smiled at Corrin as she said "It is a pleasure to meet a princess of Nohr. If we have the time, I would like to talk to you and your aide. Privately, of course."

Frederick put a serious face as he said "Pardon me, Lady Emmeryn, but we are not even sure if what they say is true. Corrin claims she is from a land I have never heard of, and she doesn't remember how she came to be in Ylisse. The same goes for Robin. Robin says she doesn't remember how she came to Ylisse as well or where she came from. The appearance of both of these individuals and the bandits and the strange monsters we have encountered cannot be a coincidence! They might even be spies from Plegia."

Chrom angrily said "Frederick! We were supposed to talk about this _properly_ later!"

Emmeryn once again put a serious face as she asked Chrom "Is this true, Chrom? They say these things and their claims yet you bring them here and recruit them among the ranks of the Shepherds?"

Chrom bowed in embarrassment as he answered "Yes, sister. Their claims and their sudden appearance may be suspicious, but regardless of the circumstances they were brought upon they still risked their lives to help us and the people they came across. They agreed to come with us here willingly as well."

Robin, Corrin, and Felicia also bowed and knelt in embarrassment.

Frederick closed his eyes as he sighed. Emmeryn then replied "Then you all have my trust as Chrom has yours. Since Chrom trusts you enough, I will do the same. Please, make yourselves welcome here."

Shocked, the three stood up and thanked Emmeryn for her hospitality.

Emmeryn looked at Corrin once more and said "May you come with me, please? You may bring Felicia with you as well. I need to talk to you privately regarding Nohr." Frederick approached Emmeryn but was interrupted by her "Your presence won't be needed, Frederick. Phila will be with me as well. And I believe Chrom has something to say to you."

Chrom quickly asked Emmeryn "Do I have time to introduce them to the rest of the Shepherds?"

Emmeryn smiled and answered "Of course. Our talk should be brief. I will ask Phila to escort Corrin and Felicia to the barracks."

Corrin, Felicia, Phila, and Emmeryn then left the rest of the group as they went to the private chambers of Emmeryn. Chrom then told Frederick "This war council that you plan to convene, I suppose we should do it now while Corrin and Felicia are speaking with Emmeryn."

"Lissa, kindly show Robin to the barracks and introduce her to the Shepherds that are there. Frederick and I have to convene a war council." said Chrom.

"Sure thing, Chrom. I hate attending those war councils anyway." replied Lissa. "Come, Robin! You should meet the rest of the Shepherds!" said Lissa as she grabbed Robin's hand and ran outside the castle.

At the highest point of the castle was Emmeryn's private chambers

"Phila, I ask that you remain outside, just by the door. I would like some privacy." said Emmeryn.

Reluctantly, Phila followed her orders and stood outside as the door closed.

"Princess Corrin, I ask that you answer me honestly and I will do the same to you. I trust you and Felicia." smiled Emmeryn.

Corrin replied "But of course, Lady Emmeryn. I would do no less in your presence and I wish only the best for Ylisse."

Emmeryn brought a large grimoire and placed it on the table the three of them were sitting on. "I wanted to ask you about this Corrin. The title of the book is incomprehensible to me, but some scholars who study strange languages could read only some of the contents of the book."

She opened it to a page specially marked. "It is this part of the book that I wanted to discuss with you."

Corrin and Felicia took a glance at the book and immediately recognized the language. It is a dialect native to the royal families of Nohr and Hoshido and those that come from a particular dragon's bloodline. The marked passage reads:

 _Underneath the warring nations of Nohr and Hoshido lies a kingdom believed to be a myth and fairy tale. When enough blood between Nohr and Hoshido are spelt upon the ground above this kingdom, a great cataclysm will befall the land. The Great Dragon himself emerge and his roar shall sound the death knell. Once the royal families and the dragonblooded mortals are slain will the Great Dragon return to end all mortals._

"I briefly studied the geography of Ylisse and its surrounding neighbors and sadly I cannot seem to find any similarity between Plegia, Ylisse, Regna Ferox, and Valm to Nohr and Hoshido." said Emmeryn. "I initially thought that Nohr referred to the large land that covers Plegia, Ylisse, and Regna Ferox while Hoshido referred to Valm. Sadly all scholars I have met with said that the origins of these lands are not of Nohr or Hoshido, and that these two nations might in fact be just a myth."

Corrin and Felicia thought long and hard regarding this matter. Although they yearn to return home to stop the war, they only realized now that the war had hidden something even worse. A cataclysm in the form of a dragon that will the world and all worlds to come.

"Corrin, I would like you to prove to me that you are indeed from Nohr." asked Emmeryn.

Corrin then brought out an orb from her pocket and grasped it tight. Her left arm shone brightly for a brief moment then the light disappeared. "Felicia, stab my left arm as hard as you can."

Startled, Emmeryn said "Corrin! You do not have to go that far!"

Felicia shook her head since she did not want to harm Corrin. Corrin then smiled as she held Felicia's hands and said "If we are to return home, we must keep moving forward without fear."

Felicia closed her eyes as she thrust her dagger through Corrin's arm.

Corrin then showed Emmeryn her arm. The dagger did in fact pierce her skin, but the dagger is severely damaged and the skin is not even bleeding.

"I have heard tales of beings similar to my kind. If I am not mistaken, they are called "manaketes"." Corrin then put the back in her pocket then smashed the table. She then closed her eyes and focused on the table. A light and a breeze came from behind her and the once broken table was now fixed.

"I believe a manakete's strength and abilities is limited to their possession of a dragonstone." said Corrin. "But the royal families of Nohr and Hoshido carry a power similar to this. The Dragon Vein allows them to harness a fraction of a power that dragons are said to hold."

Phila kicked the door open and readied her spear. "Lady Emmeryn! Forgive my intrustion but I heard a loud noise and I feared for your safety! Did these strangers harm you?!"

Emmeryn sternly said "Lay down your spear, Phila. No harm was done to anyone except the door you just destroyed."

Phila groveled and said "A thousand apologies, Lady Emmeryn!"

Emmeryn pulled Phila up and said "I believe you owe our guests an apology as well."

"My apologies as well." said Phila as she bowed to Corrin and Felicia.

Emmeryn then said "We will have the time to speak more of this, Corrin. I believe it is time for you and Felicia to meet the rest of the Shepherds?"

Phila nodded and gestured Corrin and Felicia to follow her.

Corrin looked at Emmeryn and knew that they needed to talk more about serious matters. Emmeryn knew as well and smiled as she said "There's time."

Phila sternly said "Corrin. Felicia. Pray forgive me for me early intrusion. I could not forgive myself if any harm came to Lady Emmeryn even in the presence of trusted guests."

"It is a noble duty you have, and I share those duties for Princess Corrin." replied Felicia. "I know what the duty calls for and I believe you no longer need ask for our forgiveness."

The three smiled at each other and continued to the barracks just outside the castle.

Phila then pointed towards the barracks and said "If you will proceed to that building over there, you will enter the barracks of the Shepherds." Phila then turned around and said "I must tend to Lady Emmeryn. May Naga guide you."

Corrin and Felicia approached a rugged looking building. A sign outside reads "Barracks of the Sheperds".

When they entered, they were greeted by Chrom, Lissa, Robin, a pegasus knight, a noble, and a rugged-looking fighter.


	8. Chapter 7: Meet the Shepherds

**Chapter 7: Meet the Shepherds**

The barracks of the Shepherds was actually pretty simple. Most of the weapons hanging on the wall consisted of bronze and iron swords, lances, axes, and a few steel weapons and even fewer silver weapons.

"Milady, I'll go inspect their weapons while you meet the rest of the Shepherds." Whispered Felicia to Corrin.

Corrin nodded as she approached the rest of the Shepherds.

Chrom turned to Corrin's direction and introduced her. "Now that you've met Robin, I'd like you all to meet Corrin. She'll be joining the Shepherds today with Robin and Felicia."

"Corrin! A pleasure to meet yoouuuu-ouch!" yelled Sumia as she tripped towards Corrin.

"S-Sumia! Are you okay? Is it those boots of yours again?" asked Chrom.

"No! I mean, Yes! I mean….*sigh…" replied Sumia. She stood up and approached Corrin slowly as she said "A pleasure to meet you, Corrin. My name is Sumia, and I am a pegasus knight in training."

A muscular fighter approached Corrin and said "Pleased to meet 'ya, Corrin. The name's the Vaike. If you need some tutoring on fighting, you can come to ol' Teach!"

Lissa whispered "He always refers to himself that way. Just humor him."

The noble with beautiful blonde hair approached Corrin and examined her clothes. "Tch. Must you dress this way, Corrin? You are dreadfully untidy. The end of your cape is in tatters, and your collar is scratched!"

"My apologies, madam." replied Corrin.

The noble looked at Corrin from top to bottom, smiled, then walked away.

"Don't mind Maribelle." said Sumia. "She's cold towards strangers but warms up pretty quickly."

"Or burns them if she doesn't like them at all!" said Lissa as she chuckled.

"All right, everyone. Our mission for today is a trip to Regna Ferox to request for reinforcements." said Chrom. "As you all know, there has been an increase in the number of bandit attacks and Plegian invasions. Before we leave, I believe a training session is in order."

"Time to whoop you real good, Chrom!" shouted Vaike.

Chrom shook his head as he said "Not this time. I will assign sparring partners."

"Umm…Captain?" said Sumia. "I don't think I'm fit for training today…"

Chrom kindly told Sumia "Fine then. But at least watch us spar to learn. Then again there are things you can only learn when you fight at the battlefield. Pray that that time will come sooner than later, ok?"

Sumia nodded and sat down on the side.

"Here are today's sparring partners." announced Frederick as he held a piece of paper. "Sully will be sparring with me. Vaike will spar with Corrin. Robin will spar with Chrom. Maribelle and Lissa will do exercise drills for today."

Chrom asked "How about Stahl and Miriel?"

Frederick replied "I believe they are still having breakfast. Miriel stayed up late last night studying, as usual. As for Stahl, you know his appetite for food."

Everyone stepped outside at the training ground and took their respective positions. The training grounds was not big enough for simultaneous sparring, so they had to spar in turns. Sully and Frederick were up first.

"Today's the day I beat the famed Lieutenant Frederick the Wary!" shouted a confident Sully.

"I don't need a horse to silence an overconfident knight such as you." replied a calm Frederick. "But I will humor you and make this entertaining."

"Hryagh!" yelled Sully as she charged towards Frederick. Her form was perfect and her dash has swift for someone wearing armor and holding a lance with good length. Frederick stepped to the right and grabbed the middle of the lance with his left hand. He pulled hard and Sully's momentum was used against her. Frederick gave Sully a shoulder tackle and she fell.

Frederick helps Sully up and said "Again, Sully you are committing the same mistake. Your form is perfect. Your lunge is perfect. Sadly your weight cannot support your speed, and that is why a counter such as this is enough to throw you off balance."

"Let's have at it one more time." replied Sully.

They took their positions once more and steeled themselves for the next round. "My turn to charge first." said Frederick. "Hrugh!" yelled Frederick as he ran towards Sully. He thrusted his lance at a high angle, pointed towards Sully's shoulder. Sully stepped back to dodge. Frederick smirked and swiped Sully's leg cleanly with a low sweep of the lance. Frederick lowered his stance before the first thrust in preparation for this attack.

"Next lesson." said Frederick as he helped Sully up once more. "We are knights. We are not built for speed. Blocking is more efficient than dodging for us. Dodging is a last resort and you over estimated your back step. By the time you landed, your weight could not shift again with ease and swiftness to dodge my attack."

Sully sighed but smiled as she got up. Frederick gave her a pat on the back as they went to the benches.

Vaike and Corrin took their places. Everyone shook their heads because they knew Corrin had a clear advantage with a sword over an axe.

"Teach is gonna give you some tricks to learn and class is in session!" yelled Vaike. "I'll go easy on ya, Corrin. I wouldn't want to beat you up so badly that you can't join us for the mission."

"If you're going to look down on me like that…" said Corrin sternly. "Then I'll do the same to you." Corrin put her sword on the ground and cracked her knuckles. "I don't even need this to beat you. Now come at me. If you can."

This angered Vaike and he yelled loudly. "Vaike smash!" he yelled as he leapt skywards.

" _Slow. Very slow."_ Corrin thought.

Corrin stepped back and kicked a pebble towards Vaike's direction. The moment Vaike landed, he landed improperly because of the pebble and stumbled to his right.

"Gyargk!" snarled Vaike. "How the hells did you do that?!"

"I used your weight and your attack against you. How about we fight properly now?" replied Corrin as she picked up her sword.

"Heh. That's how I like my battles." Vaike said as he flexed. "I'm no good at math so I don't care about damn triangles. I'll still beat you!"

Vaike spun his body dangerously but swiftly. Corrin adapted a lower stance and stepped back slowly. At a precise timing, she used the pommel of her sword to hit the flat end of the axe. The axe fell, but Vaike's grip still held strong. He swiped the axe upwards. Corrin acrobatically dodged it and everyone watching was amazed by this maneuver. Because of Vaike's skyward attack, his recovery was extremely slow.

" _Let's test those muscles of yours, Teach."_ Corrin smirked. She sheathed her sword and thrust at Vaike's abdomen four times. It was not enough to send Vaike to the ground, but he did step back a good distance. Vaike attacked more strategically this time, making slow, but wide attacks with his axe. This gave him more time to recover, but more time for Corrin to easily dodge. Unfortunately, Corrin stepped on the pebble she threw earlier and fell to the ground.

"THE TABLES HAVE TURNED FOR THE VAIKE!" shouted Vaike as he once again took to the skies and attacked Corrin.

Corrin rolled to the right as best she could. Vaike's attack only cut the belt of Corrin's sword.

Chrom immediately yelled "STOP!" He walked towards them and said "Vaike, attacks like that are too dangerous. You should really learn to hold back the power behind your attacks."

Frederick then considered this a draw between them and beckoned Robin to approach the dueling grounds where Chrom was waiting.

Corrin shook hands with Vaike as they returned to the waiting area. Maribelle and Lissa couldn't resist seeing Chrom spar so they stopped their drills and join the rest. Everyone wondered how good Robin is without her trusty tome. They all know Chrom is extremely effective with his sword. Against Robin, it would seem Chrom would outright win the fight.

They adapted their fighting stances and immediately everyone assumed Chrom would win the fight. Robin's stance was relatively poor for offense or defense since her sword has pointing towards the ground and she was holding her sword with one hand. Normally her tome would be on her free left hand, but for this fight, she would have to use her only armed right hand.

"Here I come!" shouted Chrom. He lept skywards and propelled himself swiftly towards Robin. Unlike Vaike's attack, Chrom was spinning vertically mid-air, so he is virtually untouchable by bladed weapons. Robin barely dodged it. Her robe was ripped off by the timely dodge.

"Sigh…this robe won't do me any good now." She took of her robes and handed it to Felicia. Felicia bowed and knew that Robin wanted it fixed before they left. "That torn up robe will only get in the way. I may as well fight like this if I were to stand a chance against you, Chrom."

"Fine by me." Chrom replied.

Everyone chuckled as they noticed Chrom blushed ever so slightly.

Chrom lunged forward and surprisingly, Robin parried the attack. The two then engaged in a close proximity combat. Their swords clashed and Robin was slowly being overpowered by Chrom as she began to lower her body towards the ground. Remembering what Frederick did against Sully, she intentionally let her body fall to the ground. Chrom was taken by surprise and the strength he used to overpower Robin launched him to the ground.

Chrom and Robin slowly got up and smiled at each other. They knew that they were practically on even grounds despite the advantage Chrom has over Robin. They once again adapted the stance they had from the start and Frederick whispered to Corrin "This will be the final attack."

Robin held her sword with both hands this time. The moment Chrom approached she swung it like a bat. Chrom ducked and knew that this mistake cost Robin the match. However, Chrom overestimated the weight he used to shift his body low and his dash towards Robin was awkward and off balance. He ended up running to Robin harmlessly and both of them fell on the ground.

"GET. OFF. ME." yelled a very red Robin. Apparently, Chrom was on top of Robin when they both fell to the ground.

Chrom blushed and apologized "Ack! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Laughter filled the air as everyone watched their beloved captain make a mockery of himself.

Felicia then interrupted "I believe we must depart for Regna Ferox while the weather is pleasant." She handed Robin her robes.

"Gods, Felicia my robes have never looked better. It's as if it's good as new-" replied Robin as she put it on. "Wait…why is it cold?!"

Felicia bowed and said "I'm sorry, Robin, but my hands are perpetually cold. It will eventually warm up though."

Robin nodded and everyone prepared to depart for Regna Ferox.

As they began to march, a knight clad in green caught up to the Shepherds and said "Wait! Wait for me!"

"Stahl. You are late." frowned Frederick.

"I was about to finish my second breakfast and begin my third breakfast!" replied an exhausted Stahl. "I was looking for you all to invite you to eat again but I noticed only Miriel was left."

Chrom asked "Speaking of which, where is she?"

"She said she'd follow up." answered Stahl. "She just had to tidy up the barracks before she left."

"Then let's proceed to Regna Ferox." Frederick interrupted. "We are behind schedule as it is.

Everyone nodded and continued to march on towards Regna Ferox.


	9. Chapter 8: The Missing Link

**Chapter 8: The Missing Link**

In between the warring kingdoms of Nohr and Hoshido lies a wide plain untouched by war. Its lush green fields have nary a drop of blood or metal from battles that never took place here. It is here that a young woman and three members of each of the royal families gathered.

The young lady in white said to the members of the royal family "I called all of you here for one reason only. And I am sure you all know what it is."

A tall red-haired pegasus knight replied "Oh yes. I know what it is. I'll bet there are Nohrian soldiers behind those trees waiting to ambush us."

The young shrine maiden then said "Sis! Please don't say that! We are here for the same reason! If we came here to fight then why are all of us unarmed?!"

"She does have a point" answered the blonde magician. "None of us have any weapons in hand, as per our agreement with Aqua. I may be skilled in magics, but without a tome, I am but a rich commoner on a horse."

"Please, we came here on the grounds of a truce." said the blonde priestess. "Corrin wanted this kind of truce between us both. If she were here, this first step would make her proud."

"But she is not here." replied the purple-haired wyvern rider. "I would do anything to get my precious Corrin back. Even if it means slaughtering those who get in my way."

"Please, Camilla." said Aqua. "There will be no killing on either side today. That will definitely not get us anywhere."

The blonde magician then said "So what's the plan then? Brother Marx never believed Corrin's claims that father is evil. Right now Marx is taking orders from father, and I do _not_ want to know what those orders are."

"I agree with Leo. I may not like father. Elise will surely agree with me on this. But our loyalty is absolute. Father's orders means life or death for all of us." said Camilla.

"I just want to see Corrin again." said Elise as she wiped the tears off her face. "I still believe she is somewhere alive and well."

Aqua smiled and said "We will have to fulfill her dreams in her stead until she returns."

"How would I know that this is not a farce?" said the young archer.

The shrine maiden angrily replied "Takumi! Would you always behave so even now? As we speak Corrin may be fighting for her life trying to get back here!"

"The reunion was short, I know." Takumi said as he soothed the shrine maiden. "I want to trust sister but the timing was just too much of a coincidence. Right after the reunion there was an explosion in Hoshido. Sakura, please understand."

"I do, Takumi. I do." Sakura, on the verge of tears, replied. "But I want sis back more than anything. I am sure you feel the same way as us and her Nohrian siblings, right Hinoka?"

"The day she was kidnapped I vowed to become strong." Hinoka replied with a stern face. "The day I saw her one more time… I knew from the start that was her. Years have passed and she still has that same pair of piercing red eyes that show no fear, pure will, determination, and above all, concern for the well-being of those she fights for."

Everyone smiled upon hearing this and nodded at each other, showing the truce was dead set.

"There is still one big problem we have to get through though." Aqua said. "We must stop Marx and Ryouma from pushing through with this war."

"Brother Ryouma is already talking with Saizou and Kagerou regarding their next move." replied Takumi as he shook his head. "Suzukaze is just one of the few who are more concerned for Corrin than this war."

Camilla added "Marx is doing more or less the same thing. He and father are planning the next stage of the Nohrian invasion. My aides Luna and Belka follow my orders, but I follow father's orders."

The Hoshidan family looked at Camilla suspiciously upon hearing the Nohrian invasion.

"Take this as a warning from me." said Camilla as she calmly smiled back at them. "I do not want to kill you or even hurt you. But when the time comes, I may have no choice. I will try my best to delay this invasion, but orders are absolute."

Hinoka shook her head and said "We have the same code in Hoshido. Ryouma's orders are also absolute. Maybe not as strict as your father's, but definitely absolute. I would hate to do anything to hurt Corrin's sister. I just want her back as much as you do."

"Then may we never meet in the battlefield." replied Camilla with a smile. "I hope the next time we meet is on the same side."

Aqua then said with a bright smile "Then we have an agreement. We will stop this war as much as our power can handle and also continue our search for Corrin."

The royal families then headed homeward as Aqua remained on the plains. She made her way further into the portion of the plains that border Nohr and Hoshido. She came upon a bridge. This is the same bridge she, Corrin, and Felicia came to.

"We were supposed to jump down here." said Aqua as she looked down. "Out of nowhere a bright light shone and a strong wind coming from below pulled us in. I tried my best to hold on to you…But I was weak."

Aqua began to cry as she recalled the events that took place on the bridge. She contained herself and calmed down as she stood up. "I have no choice then but to jump down by myself. Like Hinoka, I must be strong in your absence."

She jumped into the never-ending abyss. With spear in hand she jumped with her arms wide open, as if to fly downwards.

Meanwhile, in the Nohrian royal house, Marx welcomes his siblings back. Camilla, Elise, and Leo did not speak of where they were and their purpose of leaving. They merely said they were trying to search for Corrin and nothing more.

"We will end this war and bring Corrin back." Marx said as he looked at his sword, Siegfried. "Once this war is over, there really will be nothing in our way of searching for Corrin."

"But big brother, what if we can search for Corrin without having to fight Hoshido?" asked Elise.

Marx angrily answered "And have them stab us in the back as we search?! I think not!"

"I will bring her back no matter the cost. If more blood must be spilled, then so be it. If must do this alone, then so be it. Only death will get in my way." said Marx. "What say you?"

Camilla, Elise, and Leo reluctantly replied "Aye. We will fight with you."

Marx approached Elise and said "Please forgive me for my earlier outburst. I am just as shocked and worried for Corrin ever since she disappeared. Silas himself hasn't slept the past few days. He's been asking me and father for permission to leave the grounds to search for her."

"Heh." said Camilla. "I guess they really are childhood friends."

Marx smiled for a moment and said "We sleep well tonight. Tomorrow we march towards West Hoshido. I will explain more tomorrow."

The three other siblings sighed as they returned to their respective chambers.

On Hoshido's side, Ryouma ended the war council on a high note and welcomed his siblings back. They too, did not mention about the meeting on the plains and merely said they were searching for Corrin once more.

"So what have you to say about your search?" Ryouma asked.

Hinoka shook her head and said "Nothing but failure, Ryouma. We really cannot find her. She has to be alive though…"

"Once Nohr is out of the equation, we can confirm that ourselves."

Sakura interrupted "Brother, do we really have to fight them? I'm sure we can try to settle something with them instead of fighting so we can search for Corrin together."

"A truce with the ones who kidnapped her in the first place?!" answered an angered Ryouma "Dishonored twice is something I will never see while I'm alive!"

Sakura immediately cried upon hearing this.

Takumi sighed and said "You really can be harsh at times, Ryouma." He then went to Sakura's side and soothed her.

"My apologies." said Ryouma. "I am just as flustered as you now that Corrin is gone just when he got her back. But we will definitely get her back and this time, she will be safe from any harm."

Hinoka then asked "What do we do then, brother?"

"We wait for Suzukaze and Rinka to come back. I sent them on a scouting mission to observe the movements of the Nohrian army." replied Ryouma. "Once they return, we will formulate a plan."

"Let's get some rest then." said Hinoka. "It has been a tiring day for us all. We can continue this tomorrow."

Meanwhile, in the open fields of Nohr, Suzukaze and Rinka lie hidden while they monitor the movement of the Nohrian army.

"I count maybe a thousand troops." whispered Suzukaze. "How about you, Rinka?"

Rinka answered "I count maybe a thousand flies that I've swatted. Other than that, most of the troops are really on the west side of the fields."

Suzukaze held Rinka's wrist and said "Pray, stop swatting flies. You might make too much of a noise and compromise this mission."

"Pray stop your romantic squabbles and drop your weapons and stay on the ground." a man's voice froze Suzukaze and Rinka.

"Turn around so I may see your faces."

Suzukaze and Rinka turned around to see a man with unruly hair on a horse.

Suzukaze sighed and said "Now the mission is compromised."

"Depends on what your mission is." said the man. "Tell me what it is and I may let you go."

"Are all Nohrians this merciful? I thought your code was till kill first, bury later." said Rinka.

"I may be Nohrian, but not all Nohrians are as you think they are. Now answer my question before my blade shuts you up."

"We were sent here to monitor the movements of your army." answered Rinka.

Suzukaze interrupted "But that is not our real mission."

The man then got down from his horse and said "Lies then? Tell me the truth. Now."

Suzukaze looked at the man's eyes and said "We are also searching for Lady Corrin."

The man's eyes enlarged. He sheathed his sword and said "Let me join you then."

Shocked, Suzukaze and Rinka got up, but did not pick their weapons up. Instead, they asked him "You'd side with enemies?"

He replied "Corrin is a childhood friend of mine." He then picked up Suzukaze's shuriken and Rinka's mace and gave them back. "I would rather die looking for her than die fighting a war she is trying to stop."

Suzukaze and Rinka smiled. The man also smiled as he got back on his horse. He then said "Tell your leader that these men are headed to the west of Hoshido. I will send misinformation to delay the march, but that is all I can do. I must return now."

Suzukaze told him "Thank you for your support. I will see if I can also delay the march. I will do my best not to harm them. However when they arrive, I cannot guarantee my men will show them the mercy we both share."

"I would do the same." replied the man.

The man then galloped towards the Nohrian City and left Suzukaze and Rinka behind.

"So what do we do now?" asked Rinka.

"We go towards where the Nohrian army is going. I have an idea to delay them. You might even like it." answered Suzukaze.

Rinka smiled and said "That is the most interesting thing you have said today."

They headed to the direction the Nohrian army was going. Slowly but surely, the Hoshidan resistance and Nohrian army will clash. It is only a matter of time until the royal families will meet on the field.


	10. Chapter 9: For the Good of Ylisse

**Chapter 9: For the Good of Ylisse**

 **Author's Note:** Before I proceed with this chapter, I would like to apologize for the long delay for the release of this chapter. I had to deal with some personal issues and it cost me time. Now that they have been resolved, I had the time to focus on this. As such I tried my best to compensate for the delayed time and tried to bulk up the usual content of each chapter for this one. I hope you all enjoy it!

Nohr. The glory-seeking kingdom that thrives during war now prepares for a large-scale invasion. Their target for this invasion is the peace-loving kingdom of Hoshido. The Nohrian royal family awaits their father's order to deploy.

Elise poked Camilla and said "Camilla, you should really get up once in a while." Camilla did not respond at all and ignored Elise. "You've been on this bed for days now and you've missed training this whole week!"

"Leave her alone, Elise." said Leo. "Without her precious Corrin, she's like a person without a purpose. Only when we have word will she actually get up and be alive. Until then, she's just father's puppet just like the rest of us. We are forced to dance to his every whim."

Elise suddenly came up with an idea. She then told Leo and Camilla "what if…we actually followed Corrin?"

A confused Leo asked "What does that mean? You don't mean to actually…"

"If your question is going that far that means you know what I'm planning" replied a smiling Elise. "We can totally do it. We will be branded as traitors but it's the same for Corrin. I've noticed father hasn't been himself recently. I don't want to be his puppet anymore."

Camilla suddenly got up and said "Then together we ride."

On the borders of Ylisse and Regna-Ferox, the Shepherds take a break after a skirmish with the Risen, the monsters they've recently encountered.

An angered Chrom reprimands Vaike "Gods I swear, Vaike, every time we deploy you always forget your axe."

"No! Not this time!" replied a slightly frightened Vaike. "I actually brought it! I just dunno how it fell without me noticing."

A red-haired mage wearing glasses then told Vaike "Then pray that your eyes are sharper than the sword that kisses your neck the next time you forget your axe."

Vaike humbly replied "I-I will be sure to do that, Miriel."

"This isn't good, milord." said Frederick. "If the Risen have gotten this far…"

"Then they may have gotten into the lands of Regna-Ferox. Perhaps even further than that." said Robin. "Did you find out the origin of these fiends?"

"No." answered Frederick. "Our guess right now is that these are of Plegian origin. If we find these in either so small a number or in massive numbers in Plegia, then they just might be."

Chrom said "We press onward to Regna-Ferox then. Our borders cannot hold these fiends off once their numbers grow beyond ours."

The Shepherds continued to Regna-Ferox, a warrior kingdom where politics and war are not so different. It is a cold region in the eastern continent and is directly north of Ylisse. Ylisse and Regna-Ferox have no known alliance but have never seen each other as adversaries. Now that the Risen grow in number, Ylisse needs an alliance to fend off both Plegia and the Risen.

"Brrr-rrrr. It's so cold! How much longer until we are there?" said a shivering Lissa. "If I knew the climate here would be like this I'd have brought a thicker coat!"

Frederick laughed and said "Pray, stay behind my horse, milady. It should provide decent cover from the cold winds."

Lissa smiled and found some comfort behind Frederick's armored horse.

Robin briefly looked at Corrin then asked "Corrin, forgive me for asking this but why is it that you do not…er…wear any footwear?"

Felicia blushed as she tried to answer, but Corrin gave her the gesture not to. Corrin chuckled and answered "I do not find the ground troubling, and I generally fight better with no footwear."

"But what about rocks and sticks on the ground? Don't they hurt?" asked Chrom. "Surely you have some degree of scratches and wounds?"

Corrin raised her foot from the snowy ground and proved to them that there is nary a scratch, scar, or bruise on every inch of her foot.

Corrin blushed and said "Can we proceed to heading to Regna-Ferox? This is slightly embarrassing."

Miriel whispered "I find the properties of your body very intriguing. When the chance permits may I examine you?"

Corrin blushed once more and replied "As long as my integrity is untouched, I guess I can allow it."

Upon reaching the Regna-Ferox side of the border, Frederick proceeded to scout ahead. The rest of the Shepherds took this opportunity to take a break after climbing the freezing mountains of Regna-Ferox.

"I wonder what Regna-Ferox is like" wondered Felicia. "Is it anything like Ylisse?"

Sully told Felicia "Not at all. Regna-Ferox thrives in battle, but doesn't seek conflict as Plegia does. They've never really invaded any territory, rather Regna-Ferox has no shortage of mercenaries."

Stahl continued "Compared to Ylisse, Regna-Ferox is definitely more prepared for any battle be it small or large. Some of the best weapon forgers actually learn a lot from Feroxi blacksmiths."

Frederick returned with haste with a worried look on his face. "Milord! The Feroxi Vanguard are at arms! We must prepare ourselves!"

Chrom replied "What?! Why?!"

"I have no idea." answered Frederick. "The moment I told them that I hailed from Ylisse, they readied their soldiers. Pray all of us come, especially you, milord. Perhaps you can convince them."

Everyone readied their weapons and equipment as they made their way towards the gates of Regna-Ferox. With Chrom in the front, they prepared for the worst.

Upon having sight of the Shepherds, a female knight exclaimed "Hold there! You will stop and turn back!"

Chrom calmly said "Wait, please! We seek no conflict, only your assistance. I am Prince Chrom of Ylisse!"

The female knight then scoffed and said "Please. You bandits come here saying that all the time. You come here every day and fail every attempt. Will you never learn?"

An angered Frederick then said "How dare you! Do you not know who you address? Prince Chrom is no bandit! He is the rightful Prince of Ylisse!"

"Enough!" shouted the female knight. "Words are of no use here. Fight or die!"

"Dammit." said Chrom. "We have no choice. We will disarm, not kill these men. We need any help we can get and I will not stain my sword with the blood of people I can call my allies."

The Shepherds agreed to the plan of Chrom. Frederick then said "She's a fine tactician. Loath I am to trust Robin, but perhaps she can choose who will fight and what resources we will use."

Robin smirked and said "No need for that. We have no time to plan at all. Our numbers will suffice and the Feroxi Vanguard are moving to their positions as we speak."

Chrom then smiled and said "Then we march on."

Chrom and the Shepherds were oblivious to the strategically placed Feroxi archers. The female knight gave them the signal to fire with their sights all trained on Chrom. Corrin was the only one to notice this.

"Chrom! Look out!" shouted Corrin.

A total of eight arrows were fired and not one met Chrom. They all instead met Corrin. She collapsed and bled profusely. All the Shepherds shouted Corrin's name with Felicia crying, fearing for the worst.

Robin, still keeping her calm, then gave orders. "Lissa, Felicia, both of you tend to Corrin. We will need your vulnerary for this fight. The rest of us will have to fight fast. Corrin will not last in this weather if we fight for too long."

"Let me help!" shouted a familiar voice.

Chrom looked to the skies and noticed that it was a pegasus knight. "Su-sumia?!"

"I'm sorry I'm late, milord. I was tending to the pegasus you saved earlier and I got lost." said Sumia. "I heard your voices and it led me here."

Upon seeing the collapsed and slightly pale body of Corrin, tears began to fall from her eyes but her sad face soon turned red with anger.

"We must make haste." said Frederick. "Sumia, watch out for the archers."

"I-I know, Sir Frederick. Phila told me as much." replied Sumia.

Despite being fewer in numbers, the Shepherds charged on to make haste with the battle. They could not afford to make the battle long because the Feroxi Vanguard are on their homeland, so they are used to the weather and footing of the land. Also the Shepherds are battling at their garrison, where the Feroxi Vanguard can easily resupply. Unfortunately for the Feroxi Vanguard, the Shepherds have Frederick, Sully, Stahl, and Sumia mounted on their steeds. This gives them the advantage over the Feroxi Vanguard who have no mounted units.

Fueled by anger and the sacrifice of Corrin, the Shepherds split to two small groups to approach the west and east entrance of the border of Regna-Ferox. Stahl and Sully were quick to disarm the warriors of Regna-Ferox simply by using their horses as a battering ram. Frederick and Sumia did the same. The rest of the Shepherds made sure the archers wouldn't be able to retaliate and especially for Sumia's sake.

In a matter of minutes, all but the female knight were disarmed. Chrom, red with anger, recklessly charged.

"Chrom! Wait!" exclaimed Robin.

Chrom however couldn't hear Robin's cries as he fought the female knight. Her armor was extremely thick and her shield was taller than her body. Chrom's attacks were completely in effective. She saw an opening and hit Chrom with her shield.

"Years too young, my "prince". Just like the other bandits, you will die here." said the female knight.

As the killing strike was done, a voice broke out and said "Don't forget me!"

A knight shoved Chrom out of the way to block the strike completely.

"Kellam?! When did you get here?!" said a shocked Chrom.

"I was with you the whole time." replied Kellam. "Then again people tend to forget that I'm here."

"Stop talking and face me!" yelled the female knight. "While I breathe none will set foot past this gate!"

Robin smirked and said "I wonder how an armor that thick can block magicks?"

The female knight's face suddenly showed fear. She realized the next incoming attack is something her armor cannot block.

A thunderbolt from Robin's tome travelled swiftly towards the female knight. It broke her shield and threw her straight to the ground. She groaned and put her lance down, signaling her surrender.

"Bandits could not have fought as well as you have." said the female knight. "I guess that means you really are the Prince of Ylisse."

"Pray, we have a critically wounded ally of ours, could you perhaps help us tend to her." interrupted Frederick.

"Allow me to do so, sir. I, Raimi, the Head of the Feroxi Border Vanguard shall assist you." replied Raimi. "Also we shall show you to the Kahn of Regna-Ferox."

Frederick sighed and apologized to Chrom. "I'm sorry, milord. I should have known better than to overestimate the power of words in the system of diplomacy in Regna-Ferox."

Chrom shook his head and replied "No apologies today, Frederick. We must apologize to Corrin when she is better. If not for her, my body would resemble a pin cushion, and I would not be standing here right now."

The Feroxi soldiers as well as Lissa and Felicia brought Corrin's dreadfully pale body to the hold of the Kahn of Regna-Ferox. Although the Shepherds were victorious, their morale is low and the atmosphere around them very gloomy. Corrin's sacrifice and her critical status could not give them the feeling of a good victory.

"Enough with gloomy faces, Ylisseans." said a woman in red armor.

The woman continued "Your heroine is being tended to now, her aide, Felicia if I am not mistaken, is by her side right now. You can ask your princess here for any more details. That aside kindly tell me what bring you to my territory?"

Chrom approached her and said "We request soldiers and your assistance to help us fend off the Plegian invasion and the fiends that have been appearing in the nearby area."

The woman crossed her arms and replied "Well that is a simple request. First off, I am Flavia, the reigning East-Kahn of Regna-Ferox. I would also like to express my gratitude for not seriously wounding any of my soldiers. I can provide you the soldiers, but I may not."

A confused Robin asked "Why not? Are you not the Kahn of Regna-Ferox?"

Flavia replied "Indeed I am, but I am the East-Kahn of Regna-Ferox. Every year the East and West Kahns have a tournament to decide who rules over the whole land of Regna-Ferox. Unfortunately my company lost the previous one."

Chrom sighed and said "Does this mean we have come this way for nothing?"

Flavia chuckled and said "Not with that kind of thinking! Lucky for you, this year's tournament is just around the corner and we need a group to represent me. Raimi told me of your prowess in battle, and compliments from her come rarely, so you all have my confidence. If you bring me this victory, I'll send you my finest soldiers."

"We have no choice then." replied Frederick. "For the sake of Corrin's sacrifice we have to go along with what we have. Also for the sake of Ylisse, we need these soldiers."

"The tournament is not until five days." said Flavia. "You can use this time to train, prepare, rest, and I'm sure you would like to see your ally being tended to. For now, I will take my leave."

The Shepherds swiftly asked Lissa the condition of Corrin.

"Earlier on in the battle Felicia and I did our best to tend to her wounds. For the first two minutes she was bleeding profusely to the point that she became pale. Oddly enough her wounds sealed up just seconds after we carefully pulled out the arrows. She lost consciousness afterwards."

Stahl then asked "But is she alright now? How bad is her condition at the moment?"

"She's fine." said Lissa. "She just needs proper treatment and rest to recuperate. Felicia told me to tell you all not to worry too much as she will not leave Corrin's side."

A sigh of relief came from all the Shepherds when they heard the news about Corrin's current condition. Sumia herself finally stopped crying while Stahl and Sully smirked as to express that they knew she was fine all along.

"If you will all excuse me, I will assist Felicia in tending to Corrin." said Miriel. "There are things I must know, but I will handle her with care."

Chrom gave Miriel permission to leave while he asked Robin "Robin, I need you and Frederick to talk with Flavia regarding the current matters and gather more information regarding the upcoming tournament."

Robin and Frederick left as well.

The rest of the Shepherds went to Corrin's bed to see for themselves how she is doing. A focused but tearful Felicia was cleaning the blood of Corrin's armor and tending to her remaining minor wounds. Felicia told the Shepherds that there is no longer need to worry and that Corrin is merely asleep.

Meanwhile, in Hoshido, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura are training for the rumors of an upcoming invasion from Nohr when suddenly a scout returns and brings them a prisoner.

"Princess Hinoka, we bring forth this man. Judging by his armor, he must be Nohrian. We found him just a day's ride away from Hoshido."

Takumi readied his bow but Sakura gestured him to stand down. Hinoka on the other hand held her spear, but in a defensive stance, as she approached the prisoner.

"So what does brings a Nohrian soldier to the lands of Hoshido?" asked Hinoka.

"I bring a warning." the prisoner replied.

"What warning do you bring, Nohrian scum?" asked an angered Hinoka.

"I am not scum. I am Silas. A large Nohrian army approaches Hoshido. They will be here in a few days. I estimate the numbers in thousands if not tens of thousands." replied Silas.

Hinoka noticed that neither the scout nor Silas had a wound or mark of any skirmish. Hinoka asked the scout "Did he resist?"

The scout answered "Surprisingly no. Once we pointed our swords to him, he immediately dismounted and surrendered his sword and lance."

"Please leave us." said Hinoka.

The scouts immediately left. Hinoka then asked "Why are you _really_ here, Silas?"

"Corrin." said Silas. "I care not for this war or what purpose my King is fighting. I just want my friend back."

Sakura then approached him and asked "Do you have any news regarding Corrin?!"

"Sadly no." answered Silas. "I plan to search for Aqua since she was with Corrin before she disappeared. She is the one who most likely knows where Corrin ended up and where she was last before we lost sight of her."

"Takumi." said Hinoka. "You are going to go for a scouting mission, but you will actually assist Silas with this. Sakura, bring Subaki and Hana. Takumi bring Oboro and Hinata with you."

Takumi replied "Ryouma will find it suspicious. I suggest you ask Sakura to go."

"I will worry too much." said Hinoka. "We'll have to wait for Suzukaze and Rinka to come back."

"How about this Nohrian?" asked Takumi.

"Let him go and give him his weapons back as well as supplies, food, and water." answered Hinoka. "Pray I hope the next time I meet is when I get to see Corrin once again."

Silas bowed as he galloped away from Hoshido.

"Tell Ryouma I'm doing my scouting rounds." said Hinoka. "I'm going to make sure Silas is not going to do anything against us."

Meanwhile, back in Regna-Ferox, the West-Kahn and Marth are preparing for the tournament.

"I hear the East-Kahn has a band of Ylissean soldiers to represent her this year." said the West-Kahn.

Marth sheathed his sword and said "Not to worry. I'll bring you the good news."


End file.
